Dyesebel

First of all, "Dyesebel" was mainly aimed for children. I would consider "Dyesebel" to be the best TV-adaptation of a Mars Ravelo classic. "Darna" was overrated, while "Lastikman" wasn't able to sustain a straight storytelling, and "Captain Barbell" was ruined after 3 months of its airing.

The love story of Dyesebel and Fredo is very "touching", as they go through all the travails of a mermaid-human love. The two main villains to the Dyesebel-Fredo love story comes from two different worlds: the human Betty (Fredo's "past" who wants a "future", a complex character who basically wants things she can't have) and the mermaid Berbola (the rivalry she matches with Dyesebel are derived from their parents'). And there is Erebus, a mermaid willing to do the right thing to obtain Dyesebel's love, even bargaining for his life.

Sounds "serious", right? Well, then comes the "funny characters", which I must say is top-notch, led by the superb young Robert Villar. His chemistry with Marian Rivera (Dyesebel) is undeniable. But comes the problem, the Dyesebel becomes to naive and childish about love in the beginning of the story.

Fuelled with superb performances from Lotlot de Leon, Mylene Dizon and Jean Garcia - they made the series an extra better. Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes (the leads) were able to "fly away" from their roles from their previous project. The music was mesmerising, the beautiful violins makes the love and melodrama more effective. The theme songs, both sung by those talented young kids from Sugarpop and composed by Danny Tan was able to reflect Dyesebel's feelings from the sea to the land.

A little disappointment come from the evil subplot, performed by wooden teen actors. I'm not gonna even expand it! Director Joyce Bernal wanted the series to be "light"; but is the series "too light" for its own good?